The War God’s Favorite novel Chapter 51

The Ivy Garden

Cassandra walked a few more steps, wondering where to go. She was angry and had no other way to protest than to leave the Imperial Banquet, which upset her. For once, Cassandra felt she was truly too powerless, unable to stop Phetra or oppose the Imperial Princess. This place was really too harsh.
“Imperial Concubine?”
She turned around, realizing someone had followed her. It only took her a couple of seconds to remember that young woman. Weeks and weeks ago, she was the young servant that had given her first red dress.
“You’re… Dahlia, right?”
The young woman smiled.
“I’m glad you remember me, your Highness.”
“Please don’t… Just call me Cassandra, please.”
Dahlia chuckled. She hadn’t changed much since Cassandra had seen her. She was still wearing a long green dress, with her dark hair in a braided bun. Bowing slightly, she walked up a bit closer to her.
“Are you okay?”
“I… I needed some fresh air,” said Cassandra.
It was partially the truth. She felt stuffed, confined in this room with so many people. Only because her prince was there could she bear it. Dahlia seemed to understand and nodded slightly.
“Do you want to rest in the Ivy Garden?”
“The Ivy Garden?”
“It’s a smaller one, not many people use it,” explained Dahlia with a smile, but it’s really pretty at night.”
Cassandra nodded and followed her. Dahlia seemed to know her way around the Palace perfectly, even if the sun was slowly setting outside, putting them in the dark before long. After a few minutes, they finally arrived.
As she had said, it was a much smaller one than the fancy garden the concubines usually went in, but Cassandra instantly loved it. It only had one bench and a little pond with white fishes. The walls around it were covered in ivy and little white flowers she had never seen before. The place seemed incredibly pure and pretty.
While Cassandra walked around, Dahlia lit up a few lanterns, bringing some more light in this space.
The concubine was still observing the place when a long growl was heard. Krai’s head popped from behind one of the walls, his big red eyes finding her immediately.
“Come,” called Cassandra.
He only needed one word. Stepping over the wall, Krai hurried to her side, circling her with his body, his head resting next to her. Of course, it was his perfect position for being scratched, and he growled until Cassandra sat and started taking care of him.
Dahlia’s mouth was open in awe and she didn’t dare to step closer. The concubine was sitting right next to the Dragon, totally fine, and scratching him as if he was some one-ton dog! Though she was a brave girl, and the Dragon seemed harmless this way, Dahlia sat a few meters away, close to the pond, fascinated by the scene.
“Thank you for bringing me here,” said Cassandra after a few minutes. “I needed to relax a bit.”
“It’s my pleasure, Lady Cassandra. Is it really fine not telling anyone where you are, though? I thought you would
have a few servants with you…”
Cassandra shook her head.
“It’s fine.”
As long as Krai was with her, his master would know and be at ease. That was all Cassandra needed. Kairen had let her leave, but he probably had to stay behind to discuss official matters with his father. As inexperienced as she was in politics, she understood that much. Moreover, she appreciated spending time alone with another woman her age. She missed Nebora a bit, and maybe because of their similar black hair, Dahlia reminded Cassandra of her friend somehow.
“How long have you been working here?” Asked Cassandra.
“My whole life or so, I think… One of the Palace’s cooks found me on his doorstep and adopted me when I was just a baby. So, I became a servant as soon as I was old enough to be.”
Cassandra nodded. Dahlia was among the lucky ones. Most orphans were captured and made slaves… No wonder she knew the palace so well, despite its size.
“Lady Cassandra, did you go to the Onyx Castle?” Suddenly asked Dahlia, blushing slightly, but curious.
Cassandra smiled, and just like that, both women started talking. On one side, Dahlia was loving stories from outside the Palace, while on the contrary, Cassandra was avid to know any detail of this place Dahlia could tell her.
Having grown there, Dahlia had seen many, many concubines. That’s why she had felt Cassandra was different from the start. She didn’t have that mighty attitude of a noble’s daughter, or felt entitled in any way; she even spoke to her like an equal.
“Do you want to explore the world, Dahlia?”
The young woman seemed to hesitate for a while, blushing slightly.
“Yes, but… there is also someone I want to stay close to, here. So… as long as that person is here, I don’t think I’ll be able to leave.”
“…A lover?” Asked Cassandra, judging from her reaction.
Dahlia sighed.
“I wish, but… I doubt they even know I exist, so…”
Cassandra felt a bit sorry for Dahlia. She seemed like such a gentle woman, but to fall in love in the Palace was… a sad twist of fate. With so many pretty concubines everywhere, it was probably hard to be noticed by anyone around here.
Cassandra knew how lucky she was that Kairen didn’t actually care about such things. If it wasn’t for Krai, she would have been nothing but dust by now… Thinking about this, she kept caressing the sleek scales for a while, chatting with Dahlia, actually feeling calmer than she had been in a while.
Much later in the night, the young woman was called back to work, and Cassandra was left alone in the garden. She didn’t feel like going back, unsure the banquet would be over by then, and decided to stay a bit longer.
The quiet garden was actually nice. At night, the temperature was much better for Cassandra to endure, with a fresh wind and the warm dragon scales on her back. She rested, watching the stars, until she heard someone step
closer.
The Prince slowly walked to her side, putting one knee down.
“So that’s where you were…”
Cassandra smiled.
“His Highness, your Father, didn’t…”
“He was unhappy you left.”
The Concubine felt a bit happy about that. It meant he approved of her action, in a way. If he had been against her leaving, she couldn’t even have taken one step out of the Banquet Hall. If the Emperor was unhappy, it probably wasn’t directed at her, but at the one who had caused her to leave.
Cassandra felt a weight lifted off her shoulder. She wasn’t used to being so bold, and every action made her insecure. She could still be killed at any moment, even if she was now wearing a pink dress… Kairen’s presence helped her forget about her worries too.
“I like this garden,” she said softly
“You want to stay here?”
Since Cassandra hesitated for a while, he decided to sit next to her, letting her lay on his chest. Surrounded by the Black Dragon, they knew no one would dare to bother them. Resting her head on his shoulder, Cassandra kept staring at the stars, feeling his warm hand caressing her.
“My mom used to tell me about the stars every night. She’d teach me how to read them, their names and their past…”
“Their past?”
Cassandra slightly nodded.
“In the tribe I grew up in, we did not believe in Dragons and demi-Gods, but in the sacred nature… I was taught every life is sacred and equally precious. Plants, animals, humans, all equal and living together, each one with a purpose. And the elders said the stars are little reminders of each life that came and went. My mother said the brighter they were, the purest and shortest a life was.”
The Prince frowned a bit. It was so rare for her to talk about her life before meeting him… No wonder she wasn’t really afraid of Krai, and couldn’t stand another’s suffering.
“…Did they teach you about medicine?”
“Yes… My grandfather was the village chief and a good doctor. He knew every plant, every flower, every herb’s name, and their properties. He taught me everything. After that, I kept trying to learn what I could when I could access my master’s libraries or listen to the apothecary shop owners.”
Still, it was impressive. She was captured when she was very young, but had still managed to learn so much in such a short time and kept nurturing her talent by herself… Kairen felt like his woman was more precious than any treasure one could gather in this Palace. He caressed her hair, kissing her fingers gently.
“Your mother…” whispered Cassandra.
“What about her?”
“…Can you tell me what she did to the Second Prince’s mother?”
She heard him sigh.
“Their mother tried to poison me when I was young. She hated my mother and didn’t want her son to have another rival born from her… But my mother found out and tricked her into drinking it herself. She had a slow and painful death.”
Cassandra felt disgusted. How could one do such a thing to an infant… Since Imperial Children were so resistant; drinking a poison meant for Kairen must have brought that Concubine to a terrible agony. No matter what,
Cassandra couldn’t help but think it was a tragic death, even if she had brought it upon herself. Kareen wasn’t cruel by nature, but she certainly had to stand up to protect her children.
In the same situation, Cassandra wondered if she would have had the guts to do the same thing and cause someone else’s death… She put a hand on her tummy. Yes, maybe. Probably. She already loved her unborn child so much, she couldn’t bear the thought of losing him. If she had gone through what Kareen went through, losing several children, she might have gone crazy with despair. She shivered and hugged Kairen closer, in need of his warmth.
“Are you cold?”
“Just hug me, please…”
He gently obeyed, surrounding her with his sturdy arms and hot skin. Behind them, Krai softly growled, curling up a bit more around them. They stayed like this a long while until Cassandra fell asleep, and the Prince decided it was getting a bit too cold for his expecting concubine to stay out.
He gently carried her back to their bedroom, only noticing she was awake when landing her on the bed.
No words were exchanged between them for a while. He helped her get rid of her jewelry and dress and laid next to her. Cassandra’s emerald eyes were shining with the candlelight between them, as she kept staring at the War God, half-asleep.
“My Prince…” she whispered.
Her voice was so soft, he thought he had misheard it.
“My name,” he said, getting closer to her, one arm around her.
“Kairen… I love you.”